Scale



1. E. BURTON.

SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-25.1921- 1 107,634. Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-25, 1921.

1,407,634. Patented Feb. 21, 1922-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//V|/ENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS JUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EDWARD BURTON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCALE.

To ll whom it may concam:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. BUnroN, a

a citizen of the United States, and resident ofCambridge, in the county of Middlescx and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Scale, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

This invention relates to improvements in scales, an object of the invention being to provide a scale which may be installed in the ice box of a refrigerator, and which will occupy a comparatively small space.

A further object is to provide an ice box scale of this character which will automatically register the amount of ice deposited in the box by the ice dealer, and which will be an effective curb on the tendency to shortrate customers which appears to be generally prevalent.

The scale will also enable a house wife to see just how much ice there is in the box at any time, without the inconvenience and loss of ice caused by raising the lid and look ing into the box.

A further object is to provide a scale of the character stated which will be simple and practical in construction, strong, durable and efiicient in use, and which will be unlikely to get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and ar- I serve to illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section through the ice box of a refrigerator, my improved scale being shown in side elevation.

' Figure 2 is a view in section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 with parts broken away for clearness.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating the details of the counter weight and indicator and their asso ciated parts.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 rep resents a conventional type of household refrigerator, the walls 2 of which are hollow, and which is provided with an ice box 3 at its upper end, and with an opening 4 in Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb 21 1922 Application filed January 25, 1921.

Serial No. 439,785.

ts top to permit the introduction of ice into the box. The floor of the ice box is incheated by the reference numeral 5.

My improved scale or weighing apparatus located partially on the floor of the ice box, and partially in the hollow front wall thereof.

:idjaeent the lower corners of the box 3, brackets such as 6 are secured to the floor 5. The brackets 6 include-upstanding bifurcated portions 7 which straddle the ends I levers 8. Pins or bolts 9 extending transversely through the bifurcated portions 7 of the brackets serve to pivotally connect the end of a lever 8 with each bracket.

The other ends of the lever 8 are in the form of eyes or loops 10 and are located in alignment adjacent the transverse center line of the box. An operating rod 11 is passed through the aligned eyes or loops 10, two of %he loops encircling the rod adjacent each ear.

The rod 11 is formed with a head 12 at one end limiting the movement in one direction. A nut 13 screws on to the other end of the rod, and prevents accidental movement of the rod through the loops. On the upper side of the intermediate portion of each lever 8 suitable bracket 14 is pivotally secured. These brackets include fiat upper surfaces 15 which cooperate in supporting an ice recelving tray or platform 16. A lever 17 is also formed at one end with a loop 18 encircling the central portion of the rod 11. Bearing sleeves 19 around the rod ser e to space the looped end of the lever 17 from the looped ends of the levers 8. The lever 17 is parallel to the levers 8 and is pivoted at its intermediate portion on a bracket 20. similar to the brackets 6. The bracket 20 is located between the operating rod 11 and the hollow front wall of the box. The bifurcated forward end 21 of the lever 17 projects into the lower end of the hollow front wall.

in the upper end of the front wall of the box, inverted U-shaped yoke 22 is secured. rod or bolt 23 connects the extremities of the yoke and a counter weight 24 is pivotally ifnounted on the rod 23 and depends thererom.

A bifurcated link 25 straddles the counter weight 24: and is pivotally connected to the upper end thereof at a point slightly to one side of its dead center. The lower end of the link 25 is straddled by the bifurcated end 21 of the lever 17 and is pivotally connected thereto.

The front Wall of the refrigerator is pro vided with an arcuate transparent portion 26 preferably in the form of a sheet of glass inserted in the front wall of the refrigerator to expose an arcuatescale or chart 27. The chart is secured to the inner face of the front wall of the ice box by bolts and nuts such as 28, and is spaced from the transparent portion by certain spacing devices 29 which are located around the bolts. The chart is spaced from the transparent portion so that an indicator 30, rigidly connected to the weight 24, may be moved across the face of the chart when the weight is actuated by the link 25. The indicator moves between the chart and the glass and is connected to the weight by an angular arm such as 31.

The tray 16 is inclined slightly from its forward to its rear end, and adjacent its lower rear end is formed with an opening 32 communicating with a drain pipe 33 so that melted ice will quickly drain off the tray he operation will be readily understood. lVhen ice is deposited on the tray 16, it will operate to depress the rod 11, thus depressing the rear end of the lever 17 and swing its forward end upwardly. The link 25 will be moved upwardly by virtue of its connection with the lever 17 and will tend to swing the counter Weight 24 to one side. The indicator 30 carried by the counter weight, will be moved across tie face of the scale 27 to indicate how much ice has been deposited in the box.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to the ordinary form of small household refrigerator. It will be apparent that by slightly modifying the parts, the scale may be applied to larger refrigerators, and various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a scale, the combination with a suitable support, of a plurality of brackets affixed to the upper surface of said support,

' a pluralityof levers each pivoted at one end to one of the brackets, a rod operatively sea plurality of levers each pivoted at one end to one of the brackets, a rod operatively secured to the other ends of all of the levers, supporting brackets pivotally connected to the upper sides of the intermediate portions of all of the levers, a platform resting on said last mentioned brackets, a lever fulcrumed adjacent its intermediate portion and pivotally connected at one end to the rod, a counter weight, an indicator carried by the counter weight, and means operatively connecting the counter weight and lever, said means comprising a bifurcated link straddling the counter weight and pivotally connected. therewith at one end, and pivotally connected at its other end to the lever.

3. The combination with a refrigerator having an ice box therein, and having a hollow front wall communicating with the ice box, of a depressihle platform located in the bottom of the ice box, a counter weight pivotally suspended in the upper end of the hollow wall, an indicator carried by the counter weight, means operatively connecting the counter weight and platform, a chart in said hollow front wall, said wall including a transparent portion adapted to expose the position of the indicator relative to the chart.

4. In a scale. a lever fulcrumed adjacent its intermediate portion. a counter weight hingedly depending from a suitable support, a bifurcated link straddling the counter weight and pivotally connected thereto at a point laterally offset from the dead center. an indicator carried by the counter weight, said link hingedly connected at its lower end at one end of the lever, and a depressible platform operatirelv connected to the other end of the lever.

J AMES EDVARD BURTON. 

